Satisfying win

The challenge this week for the in-form Henley 2s was to ensure the excellent results from the last couple of months were capitalised upon. The 11-1 victory against Sonning in the previous week was pleasing and a signal of intent to the league but ultimately it didn’t provide the team with a useful test ahead of a potentially tricky tie against Eastcote.

This was borne out in the first half when the visitors were able to exploit space in between the Henley midfield and defence, and soon opened the scoring from some impressive individual work by the Eastcote centre forward. It wasn’t long before the score was doubled to 2-0 through some lacklustre defensive coordination. However, the traffic wasn’t all one way and Henley were able to make occasional inroads into the visitor’s defensive line, though the issue was one of a lack of mental rather than physical application – Henley just didn’t seem to know how to react to change things. One of the bright moments for Henley in the first half did though result in them pulling one goal back after Terry Pollard’s looping reserve stick shot from the right found the top corner of the Eastcote net.

Some stern words from the captain at half time seemed to have the looked-for result, although it didn’t materialise immediately. However, some surging work down the right by captain Dan Herbert produced a much needed penalty corner which was eventually slotted home by Tony Gaze after some untidy defending. Eastcote continued in the same fashion that had worked so well for them in the first half, and this paid dividends once again with a third goal that left Henley with just one option – take the attack to the visitors.

Further great work along Eastcote baseline by Herbert whose pass to the unmarked John-Joe Cottam on the far post was intercepted but obligingly turned the cross into his own net by an unfortunate defender. 3-3, and all to play for! Chances came and went at both ends to keep the scores equal. Gaze proved his worth with an awkward deflected clearance at one end, Cottam squandered a trademark sliding chance at the other, however Henley steeled themselves for a final push towards victory. Good work by Guy Harmer on the right wing turned an unthreatening position on the edge of the D into a penalty corner from which Eastcote failed to clear their lines and this scrappy defending presented Gaze with his second goal of the game. 4-3 up, five minutes to go – time to park the proverbial bus! With the play stretched, Cottam latched onto a powerful clearance well into the opposition half, and he found Richard Woolfrey in space with just the keeper to beat, which he did at the second time of asking to make it five.

Overall, a satisfying victory given the circumstances the home side were in at half time.